To build the fastest autonomous robot that will follow an unknown path (made of white
bookshelves and black line on the surface), detect the end of the path, and
return back to home.
Game Rules
Before the race, a referee
decide the starting position as shown in (Fig. 1), by flipping a coin.
After a robot driver presses the "run" (green) button, the robot must be
completely autonomous. No human intervention is allowed to complete the task.
One robot will follow a black line. The robot must detect the dead-end as
shown in (Fig. 2)
and return back to home.
The robot must stop its motors when it detects the end at the home position.
The time will be recorded when the robot returns home and stops.
You will have a maximum of 3 minutes to complete this mission.
A referee is checking for any violations such as falling
off the bookshelf, not stopping at the end, etc.
In case of any violation,
the referee will
let you restart the robot from the beginning position,
using only the remaining time.
If the robot breaks apart during its run, you may fix it and restart from the
beginning of the race, using only the remaining time. Note that
the clock does not stop while a robot is being fixed.
If the robot does not move at all, the referee will
allow you to restart the robot from the beginning position,
using only the remaining time.
How are winners chosen? The faster, the better.
Tie breaking rule: (1st) the number of input sensors used; the smaller, the better.
(2nd) re-run.
(Fig. 1) Starting position
(Fig. 2) Approaching dead end
Constructing and Programming
Size of the robot
Length: Less than 11 inches including any extensions such as antennae,
bumpers, etc.
Width: Less than 10 inches.
Note that the width of the bookshelf is about 10".
Height: no restriction.
Weight: no restriction.
The robot must use pieces in the standard Lego MindStrom Robotics Invention
System set (either 1.0 or 1.5).
You may program your robot using any of the
programming environments available such as Lego
MindStorms TM RIS RCX code programming (1.0 or 1.5),
NQC, Visual Basic with OCX, or LegOS/C.
Constructing Playing Field
Eight to twelve 10"x36" white bookshelves must be used. Note that the actual width of
the 10"x36" bookshelves you can buy from local stores like Home Depot is slightly
less than 10".
Black electric tape (width of 0.75") approximately in the middle of each book shelf
as shown in the pictures.
Any connected line you can make with eight to twelve
bookshelves will be the playing field! This means that the length of the total
path is unknown.
The thickness of the bookshelves is about 5/8".
The color of the floor where the bookshelves will be placed is unknown.
Figures 3 and 4 show how to make curves, clockwise and counterclockwise.
(Fig. 3) Making a curve, counterclockwise
(Fig. 4) Making a curve, clockwise
Acknowledgement
The Robo Race game was
created by Dr. Chan-Jin Chung at Lawrence Technological University
in December of 1999.
You may use the same game rules for your
events, but acknowledgement to the inventor of the game
at Lawrence Tech. University is requested.